In sickness, why a stadium supporter can’t support the Vikings’ stadium plan, dinosaur farts, the Snake River Canoe Race, and the things we don’t get.

The Monday Morning Rouser:

1) IN SICKNESS AND…

“You and I aren’t going anywhere and we’ll handle it….” In the debate over the sanctity of marriage that is flaring in Minnesota up to this November’s vote on same-sex marriage, there are people who protect it the old-fashioned way: Staying married in tough times.

You will find no more beautiful way to start your week than this:

2) WHY A STADIUM SUPPORTER CAN’T SUPPORT THE VIKINGS STADIUM

Rick Prescott, who writes Ballpark Magic, acknowledges he’d like to support the current proposal for a Vikings stadium. But he says the location is wrong, the ownership of the new stadium is wrong, the method of financing from the “local partner” is wrong, and the method of financing it at the state level is wrong.

Prescott, who knows stadium politics, says there’s a better deal to be had and lawmakers — who vote today on the stadium proposal — will likely get it by voting “no.”

“Though it would have been my preference to solve the stadium problem this year and save the expenses associated with waiting (among them financing), the plan as it is currently formulated is not only potentially insufficient, it is rather irresponsible and decidedly ill-advised on many fronts,” he says.

Dinosaur farts may have played a big role in the warming of the earth, the BBC is reporting today. British scientists have calculated the methane output of sauropods, including the Brontosaurus. The dinosaurs produced 520 million ton of gas annually. That would just about equal the total methane emissions in the world today.

4) A WEEKEND WASHOUT? HARDLY

Greg Seitz, of Maplewood, raced in the Snake River Canoe Race near Mora on Saturday. “It was a terrific event,” he says in an e-mail. “A dozen or so hardcore racers, and maybe a hundred casual participants — mostly local folks. We got passed by a lot of people in pretty beat-up canoes. The race is about 14 miles long, and the river was in great shape from all the rain recently.”

I don’t get pajama pants in public. I don’t get Dancing with the Stars. They aren’t very good, you know. There are professional dancers who are very good, but they are not on television. I don’t get fancy single-serving coffee makers. I don’t get the Twilight series.

I don’t get pillow shams. If something ever happened to my wife I’d be lost, but I wouldn’t want trade places with the pillow shams. They’re doomed. Pillow cases are adequate. They have a job to do. What are we really hiding? I will burn those pillow shams in the driveway. There is no object in my house that I hate more than pillow shams. I love my wife more than I hate pillow shams. That is all the pillow shams have going for them.

Discussion point: What don’t you get?

Bonus I: Some colleges and universities have football teams and bands. The University of North Dakota literally tops them all. They’ve got an aerobatic team:

Minneapolis animal control officers are trying to cope with an oversupply of pit bulls and other so-called bully breeds. Some are strays, some have been judged dangerous and many have suffered abuse. The shelter can only release them to qualified rescue organizations, and half of them are euthanized. Today’s Question: Are some breeds of dogs too dangerous to have as pets?

All Things Considered (3-6:30 p.m.) – The number of students on free or reduced-price lunch in Minnesota is up 2 percent over last year, and 14 percent over three years ago. The suburbs have seen some of the biggest jumps, and most of the increase has come in the “free” category, which suggests the level of economic hardship has deepened. The jump in need has schools looking for new ways to ensure kids are well-fed and able to learn. MPR’s Julie Siple will have the story.

The state of Minnesota, its politicians and some academics are declaring a war on Asian Carp. These invading fish from south of the Twin Cities are making their way to the upper reaches of the Mississippi River and are now in the St. Croix. The silver and big head carp are consider threats to native species in the rivers and in the many Minnesota lakes connected to the rivers via tributaries. But some biologists say evidence from Illinois and other states suggests the fish may not pose as big a threat as the politicians and others suggest. MPR’s Matt Sepic will have their story.

Santi White once worked at a record company, writing songs for pop stars. Now, she’s becoming a pop star herself under the name Santigold. And she’s trying to challenge the music industry. NPR talks to Santigold about her music and her latest album, “Master of My Make Believe.”

About the blogger

Bob Collins has been with Minnesota Public Radio since 1992, emigrating to Minnesota from Massachusetts. He was senior editor of news in the ’90s, ran MPR’s political unit, created the MPR News regional website, invented the popular Select A Candidate, started the two most popular blogs in the history of MPR and every day laments that his Minnesota Fantasy Legislature project never caught on.

NewsCut is a blog featuring observations about the news. It provides a forum for an online discussion and debate about events that might not typically make the front page. NewsCut posts are not news stories but reflections , observations, and debate.

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I don’t get why people on Facebook continue to like and share photos of disabled people, veterans, or someone dying with the caption, “Like if you believe in God”/”Like if you think this person is beautiful,” etc. Ugh!!!

jon

Lots of good stuff today Bob.

#2 I hope this stadium bill does not pass in it’s current form, though there has been a lot of effort to make amendments to it to bring it back to reasonable, so maybe an amendment to make the stadium paid for based on user fees will be added before a vote.

#3 Perhaps with all that methane the mass extinction event wasn’t as large of an asteroid as we though, it was instead just enough to ignite the atmosphere.

Pat M

I don’t get Facebook, flip flops or tattos.

Aaron

The video of the couple struggling with dimentia was heart warming. It’s sad when relationships fall apart due to health reasons.

The viking stadium… what is the perfect plan? No one wants to the vikings to leave, but no one wants to give on their agenda in order to keep them around. If there was a perfect plan then the whole ordeal would have been over about a year ago. No Law-maker wants to say that the vikings left because of them, but no one can agree what funds or how much funds should be designated to the vikings.

kennedy

I don’t get decorative accessories on trailer hitches.

Susan

I don’t get 3-4 inch spiked heels.

Jim Shapiro

I don’t get so-called reality shows and so-called talent shows. Vampires. Constant texting. Not using turn indicators. And anybody who earns less than $200,000 voting Republican.

Paul K

Bob,

Please correct the brontosaurus name, anyone with a 5yr old boy can tell you the proper name is apatosaurus 😉

Paul K – I’m debating whether or not to tell my 5 yr old boy about the methane theory.

We’ve got plenty of bodily function humor as it is.

Phillip

Protect marriage from what? I took it as protecting marriage from the slings and arrows and the divorce rate, and not from me. That’s the legacy of marriage that I was raised in and hope to have for myself with my husband someday.

I can’t remember the whole lead up to his name, but I remember listening to the Morning Show with Mr. Jim Ed Pool(e?) and thinking that’s a great lead in to a name.

Things I don’t get: also pillow shams, and those mattress skirts for that matter; speeding to pass someone only to get stuck next to them at a stop light

bsimon

I don’t recall who, but someone didn’t believe me when I said you see the ground out the top of the windshield when spinning in a citabria. thanks for the vid.